The 0x800705b4 error is a hexadecimal format display that appears on a Windows computer in different circumstances together with different information about the error message.
It frequently appears in Windows Update & Windows Defender because of a system setting that is incorrectly configured or a Windows Registry with irregular entries.
If you have received the 0x800705b4 error in your computer, this means that there was a malfunction in your system operation. It is not advisable to ignore this error and continue to use the computer because it may slow down the system, cause data loss, or even crash your computer.
Also, this error code may appear in different locations within the system; therefore, if you don’t have a specific technical knowledge or don’t use the appropriate software, it will be difficult to pinpoint and fix the error. Fortunately, there are a number of effective fixes you can follow.
What Causes the Error?
The five major causes of error “0x800705b4” on Windows Update are as follows:
- Your operating system failed to install updates
- The Windows system files are damaged or corrupted
- The Service Update was not configured as an automatic update
- There’s an error in the registry
- A virus or a malware attack
On the other hand, the three major causes of error “0x800705b4” on Windows Defender are as follows:
- Installation of a third-party protection software which is not compatible with Windows Defender
- Windows is not updated, the system driver is outdated, and/or the registry is missing or corrupted
- Windows has been infected by a virus or malicious software and the system was unable to use the tool
How to Fix Issues Related to 0x800705b4
Windows Update is a Microsoft Service offering updates for your operating system, security updates, critical updates, and other Microsoft products like Microsoft Office, Windows Live Essential, etc. If your computer failed to install the updates, the Windows Update Error 0x800705b4 will likely appear.
Here are the fixes you can use to solve the issue:
1st Fix: Use the SFC Tool
DiskGenius recommends that it would be a smart choice to run a System File Checker for your system in case this error appears. The SFC is a free tool which is built into your Windows computer which can find corrupted Windows system files and repair them. To do so, simply follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key and type “command prompt”.
- Right click the Command Prompt option on the pop-up menu then choose “Run as administrator”.
- In the Command Prompt window, simply type “sfc/scannow” without the quotation marks to do a system file check. Once the scan is completed, a message will pop up to report if the system has found corrupted files and if repairs were successfully made or not.
Video Guide: How To Run System File Check (sfc scannow)
2nd Fix: Use the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Driver Easy recommends, on the other hand, recommends to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter to fix the 0x800705b4 error during a Windows Update:
- On the Start menu, type “troubleshoot” then click the Troubleshoot option as it appears.
- Click View All in the left pane then look for Windows Update in the list and click on it.
- Click Advanced then Run as Administrator.
- After that, click the Next button, and the troubleshooting will then detect any problems and fix them.
- Check to see if the 0x800705b4 error still appears during a Windows Update.
Video Guide: How To Fix Windows With The Automatic Troubleshooter In Windows 7 / 8.1 / 10
3rd Fix: Delete Certain Files
Another method recommended by Driver Easy is to delete some related files. You can do this by following these steps:
- Click the Windows icon on the bottom left corner then type “services”.
- Click the Services option as it appears.
- Alternatively, you can press Windows key + R at once then type “services.msc” on the run dialog box.
- On the Services window, look for Background Intelligence Transfer Service, right click, then select Stop.
- Scroll down to look for Windows Update, right click it, then select Stop.
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\WindowsSoftwareDistribution.
- Delete all the contents of this folder (please ensure to delete “Download” & “Delivery Optimization”.
- Restart your computer and check to see if the error still persists.
How to Fix the 0x800705b4 Error on Windows Defender
The Windows Defender is a built-in protection tool offered by Windows which is designed to provide real-time protection to your computer. It is a freeware to protect your computer system from external threats such as a spyware and malware. Also, it is a good alternative for additional third-party software like antivirus, firewalls, etc.
1st Fix: Uninstall your Antivirus
A user at Microsoft Community recommends that the best way to fix error 0x800705b4 on Windows Defender is to uninstall any antivirus installed in your computer and enable Windows Defender. Here’s how:
- Click the Windows logo then look for Control Panel on the popup menu.
- Click Uninstall a Program.
- On the list, look for your antivirus software then click Uninstall. Windows Defender automatically enables itself after all antivirus software have been removed in your computer.
- To be sure that it is enabled, click the Windows icon and type Windows Defender.
- Click Windows Defender as it appears and click Tools or Settings.
- Click Options then choose Real-Time Protection.
- Check Real-Time Protection or check the box beside it.
- Reboot your computer and see if Windows Defender is updating properly.
2nd Fix: Edit a Registry Entry
Disk Genius recommends using the Registry Editor to fix an error on Windows Defender. Here’s how you can do it:
- Press the Windows key and R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Look for Windows Defender by following this specific path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows Defender
- Right click Disable Anti-Spy Software then choose Modify.
- Change its Value data to “0” (zero) and hit Enter.
- Restart your computer and Windows Defender should be back to normal.
Registry Editing 101
Forum Feedback
To get a better understanding of the 0x800705b4 error, we investigated several tech forums to see what people had to say. In general, they were interested in Windows 10 Update Error 0x800705b4, how to fix 0x800705b4 error, and Windows 10 Update code 0x800705b4.
An individual commented that he upgraded his Windows 8.1 laptop to Windows 10 and that for a few days everything was working as it should.
- However, recently, he found out that he couldn’t check for updates or install them.
- He got an error message that there was a problem with the installation and the error code was 0x800705b4.
- The user asked why he was experiencing such a problem in a Microsoft support forum and they answered him that the error code was related to Windows Defender – the built-in antivirus program for Windows 10.
Another forum member shared that he had the same problem with updating Windows 10 and what worked for him was booting the device in Clean Boot. However, he had a hard time until he got to the solution because Microsoft support wasn’t very helpful.
An individual said that you could try and change Windows update settings because the error might be caused by changed settings, which were interfering with the update.
- The user shares that you could do that by typing Windows Update in Cortana and selecting Check for updates.
- Then you have to go to Advanced Options and unselect “Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows.” After that, you restart your device, open the Windows Update Settings and select “Check for updates.”
- However, some people have indicated that the solution didn’t work at all for them and that they wasted time restarting the laptop several times.
A person reported that his problems with Windows disappeared once he updated the device to Windows Fall Creator. However, some other people have stated that the 0x800705b4 error appeared while they’re trying to upgrade to Fall Creator.
Another forum member said that unchecking “Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows” worked for him. However, the problem returned once he checked the box again. He was searching for ways to fix it because he didn’t want to check manually for updates every time.
A commentator also pointed out that he liked the new Windows 10 features, however, he didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t install all the necessary updates due to 0x800705b4 error. He tried to restart his device and start the updating process again, but he wasn’t successful. Fortunately, the issue disappeared on its own after a couple of weeks even though he didn’t do anything to fix it. He supposed that Microsoft might have released a fix for it.
Another computer user reports that he couldn’t get the latest updates for Windows 10 due to 0x800705b4 error and he was wondering what he could do to fix it. Support recommended that he should install the Fall Creator Version manually because it this way he’d get the newest version, which should take care of any bugs or issues with the Windows Update Center.
A person observed that the 0x800705b4 error might be due to high update requests on the Update servers. Microsoft Support advised him to close Windows update and to reopen it after 10-15 minutes to check if he’d have success. He followed their advice, but it didn’t change anything. He even ran Windows Update Troubleshooter to diagnose the issues, but it couldn’t fix the update.
Another laptop owner mentioned that he got the 0x800705b4 error when he attempted to start Windows Defender – Windows 10 antivirus.
- From what he figured out on his own researching the forums, the error might appear if you had already installed another antivirus or anti-malware program and it was causing conflict with the Windows Defender.
- However, he didn’t have any other antivirus programs installed, and he had no success fixing the mistake by updating Windows Defender or installing the newest updates.
An individual commented that he was finally able to resolve the 0x800705b4 issue by unchecking every box in the Advanced options for Windows Update. He added that after months of failures he was able to upgrade from Windows 10 1511 to Windows 10 1607. Some other computer users also claimed that this was the only fix that managed to get rid of the 0x800705b4 error code.
Conclusions
All in all, the 0x800705b4 error commonly affects Windows Update and Windows Defender. Such an error should not be ignored as it may cause further issues on your computer.
Hopefully, these step-by-step fixes mentioned would work to resolve the issue. If you continue to see the error after trying the recommended methods above, the problem might be caused by other factors. In this case, we recommend hiring a qualified computer technician.